US2557077A - Pipe bowl cleaner - Google Patents

Description

June 19, 1951 2,557,077

PIPE BOWL CLEANER Filed June 21,, 1.945

INVENTOR .fon mw JQ4/PA5 ATTORNEY freely exert a radial Patented June 19, 1951 UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE PIPE BOWL CLEANER Edward J. Clarke, Lima, Ohio Application June 21, 1945, Serial No. 600,742 3 Claims. (01. 131-246) This invention relates to smokers appliances, and more particularly to an improved pipe bowl cleaner.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an efiioient, inexpensive, lightweight, compact, portable pipe bowl cleaner of simple construction which can be carried in a users pocket.

One embodiment of the invention comprises a pipe bowl cleaner or reamer in the form of a flat continuous metal strip shaped in the form of a U and whose arms constitute yieldable cutting or scraping edges. The open ends of the U-shaped bowl cleaner are curved inwards to enable an easy entrance into pipe bowls of different sizes, thereby permitting these ends to fit down into and clean the bottom of the bowl.

A sliding clasp or retractor is movable over thelengths of the arms and permits the arms to or outward pressure against the interior of the bowl when the retractor is positioned near the trough of the U, and serves to contract or compress the arms of the U when the retractor is positioned near the open ends of the arms. This retractor may be in the form of a metal plate having a pair of spaced parallel slots for accommodating the arms of the U- shaped cleaner.

A feature of the invention lies in the use of a wire brush in an embodiment of the invention. This wire brush is hinged to the bottom and center of the retractor plate. When used for cleaning the bowl, the wire brush is swiveled or pivoted to a position outside the arms of the U-shaped cleaner, and when not in use, the brush is positioned between the arms of the U- shaped cleaner and faces the bottom or trough of the U.

Other" objects and features will appear from a reading of the following description which is accompanied by drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 illustrates an embodiment of the invention using a metallic plate retractor and a wire brush;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1 looking down on the metal plate retractor;

Fig. 3 is a side view of Fig. 1 illustrating in detail the swiveling action of the wire brush; and

Fig. 4 is a front or edgewise view of Fig. l with a retractor pulled down to the bottom of the trough and with the wire brush positioned outside the U-shaped member.

Throughout the figures of the same parts are represented by the same lent reference characters.

drawing, the

or equiva- For finer cleaning, the

The reamer or pipe bowl cleaner of Figs. 1 to 4 comprises a U-shaped member having yieldable scraping arms or blades I, 2 and a trough 3. This cleaner is formed from a flat continuous sheet metal strip, preferably of spring steel, so as to be resilient. The free ends of arms or blades I and 2 are curved, as shown, to enable them to enter pipe bowls of different sizes and to permit the edges of these arms to scrape and clean the bottom of the pipe bowl. The U- shaped member has such length and width as to be easily held in the hand near the trough portion when the free ends of the arms are inserted in the pipe bowl to be cleaned. A retractor in the form of a metallic plate 6 is provided with a pair of slots 1 and 8 for enabling the arms I, 2 to freely slide in the retractor as the latter is moved by hand over the lengths of the arms. The retractor is provided with a wire brush 9 having a bent or curved handle I0 piv-' otally mounted at II to the bottom and center of the retractor. The bend in the brush handle I0 permits the brush to be pivoted out from the arms- I and 2; that is, swing to one side, so as to move past the retractor and occupy either the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 3 or the position shown in Fig. 4.

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 show the reamer in its contracted position with the retractor near the open curved ends of the arms I, 2 and the wire brush positioned between the retractor and the trough of the U.

The pipe bowl can be cleaned by the arms I and 2 when the wire brush is swun out and the retractor is in its lowest position as in Fig. 4. brush 9 can be inserted into the pipe bowl, after the rough cleaning by the blades I, 2, for removing whatever carbon dust may remain on the interior walls.

In order to level the top of the pipe bowl which may get rough after usage, there are provided extension edges I2 on the retractor. This leveling process may be done at the start of the cleanin process while the retractor is in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

In cleaning a pipe bowl, the top of the bowl may be leveled while the elements of the reamer are in the position shown in Fig. 1. The brush handle II! can then be swung to one side, and the retractor lowered by pushing the pipe bowl down on the retractor. Further lowering of the retractor beyond the position determined by the depth of the bowl can be done by hand. The bowl or the reamer can then be rotated 01' twisted to cause the edges of the blades I, 2 to loosen the carbon on the interior of the bowl. Retractor or clasp 6 forms a hand grip to enable easy rotation of the reamer in the bowl. After this, the wire brush 9 can be turned to occupy either the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3, or the position shown in Fig. 4 for finer cleaning of the pipe bowl.

Suitable dimensions for a cleaner like that shown in Figs. 1 to 4 are as follows, by way of example only: The slots F and 3 may be spaced apart elevensixteenths inch. The blades may be three-eighths inch Wide. The overall length of the blades may be two and One-quarter inches.

The wire brush may be three-quarters inch wide-,.

and one inch long, and made of brass Wire which will wash without rusting, with a suitably bent wire handle. The retractor may be made of metal, about 0.055 inch thick by three-quarters by one inch.

What is claimed is:

1. A tobacco pipe bowl cleaner comprising a thin, flat, continuous, resilient metal strip shaped in the form of a U and whose arms constitute yieldable cutting and scraping edges, theflat surfaces of said arms facing each other, the base of said U- being in the form of atrough, the distance across said base being always less than the distance' between said arms under all conditions of use of said cleaner, the free ends of said arms curvin inwardly toward each other, said armsexertingoutward pressure when maintained in parallel planes, and a clasp holding and movable over the lengths of said arms, said clasp comprising a fiat rectangularly-shaped plate-like element having narrow parallel slots for enabling the arms of said cleaner to slide therein and serving to compress said arms to a substantially parallel position when placed near the center of said arms but permitting outward movement of said arms when placed near the base of the U, said clasp being provided with scraping edges on its surface facing the free ends of said arms.

2. A pipe bowl cleaner comprising a thin, flat, continuous resilient metal strip shaped in the form of a U and whose arms constitute yieldable cutting and scraping edges, the free ends of said arms curving inwardly toward each other, an arm clasp holding and movable over the lengths of said arms, and a wire brush hinged to the bottom and center of said clasp.

3. A pipe bowl cleaner comprising a thin, flat,

continuous, resilient metal strip shaped in the form of a U and having arms constituting yieldable cutting and scraping edges, the free ends of said arms curving inwardly toward each other, a flat arm clasp holding and movable over the L lengths of said arms, and a wire brush hinged to the bottom and center of said clasp, said brush having a length which is less than the lengths of said arms and having a curved handle permitting the brush to be swiveled to a position on top of said clasp.

EDWARD J. CLARKE.

REFERENCES CITED The, followin references are of record in the file. Of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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